The present invention is directed to a method for manufacturing an optical cable, whose cable core is composed of a plurality of chamber elements having openings at one side, which openings serve the purpose of accepting light waveguide bands or ribbons, to an apparatus for performing the method; and to an optical cable.
An optical cable, which has a plurality of chamber elements wrapped around a tension element with each of the chamber elements having radially outward openings for receiving optical elements, is disclosed in German Published Application 38 39 109. This design is often referred to as a "chambered cable", which receives light waveguides and has a shape of a cable core that is already constructed and has a cross sectional shape roughly like a spoked wheel. The cable is moved in a longitudinal direction and the light waveguides are then introduced into the chamber openings by a corresponding insertion device. Subsequently, a cover is wound or spun onto the device to close the openings and then a cable cladding is extruded in a final work step.
High packing densities can be achieved, given employment of light waveguide bands in the shape of ribbons, and such structures also have the advantage that they may be simply and rapidly spliced. The above-described manufacturing process, however, means that, by a contrast to what are referred to as "hollow leads", wherein the light waveguides are loosely accommodated in the inside of the protective sheath, work cannot be carried out with prefabricated sub-elements. On the contrary, the light waveguides can only be introduced into the cable core comprising the individual chambers on site.